MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Zoo Miami announced on Thursday that a 7-year-old red fox named Swift died of a cardiac arrest.
After a rescue by The South Florida Wildlife Center, the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission determined the female fox could not be released and took her to Zoo Miami in 2017.
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“Because of her calm and warm personality, Swift quickly became a favorite animal ambassador at the zoo and often participated in educational presentations designed to help connect people with nature, especially native wildlife,” Ron Magill wrote in a statement.
Staff recently noticed Swift was experiencing “unusual lethargy and a loss of appetite,” and a veterinarian found she required emergency surgery to treat a liver torsion, according to Magill.
“A portion of the liver had twisted around critical blood vessels that led to internal bleeding,” Magill wrote. “Following corrective action to eliminate the torsion and stop the bleeding, and while still under anesthesia, Swift went into cardiac arrest.”